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Jamison wants Stuy' super seat
By Bob Green
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Asked why she wants to be supervisor, Lee Jamison cites the example of a past holder of that office. "I am inspired by Matt (Asbornsen), who always did what was best for the town". Jamison also ran in 2007, and says she is "not going to let one defeat get in the way."
"My pet issues have to do with infrastructure, but door-to-door, its taxes that people want to talk about. You can't just add 3% to town expenses every year, you need to look at every expense" she says, citing the example of Kinderhook Memorial Library, where she is a trustee and secretary. She says the library lowered its electricity usage by nearly half through the use of timers and by changing the type and placement of bulbs.
"It can be done," she says. "Set a goal and invite townspeople to help" with grant writing and other tasks. She says the current Town Board needs to "be more aggressive about going after things," giving the example of potential funding to help with reconstruction of a closed bridge on Schoolhouse Road. After Assemblyman Tim Gordon sent word that he could be of help, Jamison says the Town Board "did not want to act."
Supervisor Valerie Bertram has said she holds the bridge's owner, CSX Railroad, responsible for the project, and that if the town accepts grant funding, it could be saddled with the costs of maintaining of the bridge. But Jamison says she was told by engineer Prof. Robert Clark, whose protests led to closing of the bridge in 2006, that modern bridges have a life expectancy of 75 years, and that since the town already maintained the roadway, any increase would not be large.
"To her credit," Jamison says, Bertram did go to the Attorney General for help, but so far it seems nothing will be done for the town. Jamison says the required detour for big farm machines is further hurting the viability of local agriculture.
Another area where Jamison recommends a fresh approach is access to the waterfront. "There is not a huge benefit to being adversarial," she says. Years of dashed hopes for waterfront improvements have created "old enmities," but, citing new leadership at the Department Of Environmental Conservation, she is hopeful, saying "I think we can get people to the table. There is patching to be done."
Four different at-grade railroad crossings offer the public either limited or no access to the river's shoreline, and Jamison is concerned that the only one of them to receive public funding for upgrade in recent years belongs to the Hook Boat Club, a private organization. And she offered the same club as one of several examples of what seem to her to be inequities in property assessments in town.
She says that when residents asked for detailed town-wide assessment information, they were subject to "stonewalling" by officials, and that at times other residents have also had trouble getting their questions answered by town hall. "People need to feel they can ask questions and not be answered in an arrogant way," she said, citing Oak Leaf Drive residents, where drainage issues have caused septic problems and cracked walls.
"This is our housing stock," she says, and it shouldn't be allowed to deteriorate. She says the Town Of Kinderhook has been much more responsive to related problems on Robin Lane, where she says residents have now gotten a grant to study formation of a drainage district.
She acknowledges that transparency in government requires extra effort. "It takes a lot of work to keep people in touch. Getting information out is a challenge," she says, but that will be her priority if elected.
At the county level, Jamison is defender of the purchase of Ockawamick School, which she says was priced below its real worth. "It’s probably a valuable piece of real estate for what they bought it for," she said.
As to the future of the Pine Haven nursing home, she had high praise for staff at the current facility, and many questions about how best to provide the needed services in the future.
"I have mixed feelings about nursing homes. We are stuck with a certain sort of model," says Jamison, who is a career social services manager and practitioner who holds a Masters of Social Work. Under the Medicare billing system, newer facilities are reimbursed at higher rates, but the high turnover at private facilities, often staffed by agencies, does not make for good patient care, she says. "Direct care staff earning a living wage can provide a stable environment, and that's worth more than gold .... It would be sad if the county couldn't afford to do it anymore."
"We are losing seniors, it would be nice to keep them in the county" she said, coming full circle back to her mentor, Dr. Asbornsen who moved with his wife Mimi to a senior community in Clifton Park earlier this year. Asked if the county belonged in the nursing home business she hesitated, but not for long.
"The social worker in me says yes," she answered, but advised the county to "look closely at the Camphill model," which places residents in specialized communities offering the support required for their age and abilities. Plans were recently announced for a new Camphill facility in Ghent that will house 72 residents.
Jamison lists organizational affiliations including the MRDD Subcommittee of the County Community Services Board, Camphill Village, COARC, past Board President of Philmont Hearth, NASW, Amnesty International, Stuyvesant Recreation Committee, Railstation Restoration Committee, Stuyvesant Farmer's Market, and Citizens for Clean Air.
"My pet issues have to do with infrastructure, but door-to-door, its taxes that people want to talk about. You can't just add 3% to town expenses every year, you need to look at every expense" she says, citing the example of Kinderhook Memorial Library, where she is a trustee and secretary. She says the library lowered its electricity usage by nearly half through the use of timers and by changing the type and placement of bulbs.
"It can be done," she says. "Set a goal and invite townspeople to help" with grant writing and other tasks. She says the current Town Board needs to "be more aggressive about going after things," giving the example of potential funding to help with reconstruction of a closed bridge on Schoolhouse Road. After Assemblyman Tim Gordon sent word that he could be of help, Jamison says the Town Board "did not want to act."
Supervisor Valerie Bertram has said she holds the bridge's owner, CSX Railroad, responsible for the project, and that if the town accepts grant funding, it could be saddled with the costs of maintaining of the bridge. But Jamison says she was told by engineer Prof. Robert Clark, whose protests led to closing of the bridge in 2006, that modern bridges have a life expectancy of 75 years, and that since the town already maintained the roadway, any increase would not be large.
"To her credit," Jamison says, Bertram did go to the Attorney General for help, but so far it seems nothing will be done for the town. Jamison says the required detour for big farm machines is further hurting the viability of local agriculture.
Another area where Jamison recommends a fresh approach is access to the waterfront. "There is not a huge benefit to being adversarial," she says. Years of dashed hopes for waterfront improvements have created "old enmities," but, citing new leadership at the Department Of Environmental Conservation, she is hopeful, saying "I think we can get people to the table. There is patching to be done."
Four different at-grade railroad crossings offer the public either limited or no access to the river's shoreline, and Jamison is concerned that the only one of them to receive public funding for upgrade in recent years belongs to the Hook Boat Club, a private organization. And she offered the same club as one of several examples of what seem to her to be inequities in property assessments in town.
She says that when residents asked for detailed town-wide assessment information, they were subject to "stonewalling" by officials, and that at times other residents have also had trouble getting their questions answered by town hall. "People need to feel they can ask questions and not be answered in an arrogant way," she said, citing Oak Leaf Drive residents, where drainage issues have caused septic problems and cracked walls.
"This is our housing stock," she says, and it shouldn't be allowed to deteriorate. She says the Town Of Kinderhook has been much more responsive to related problems on Robin Lane, where she says residents have now gotten a grant to study formation of a drainage district.
She acknowledges that transparency in government requires extra effort. "It takes a lot of work to keep people in touch. Getting information out is a challenge," she says, but that will be her priority if elected.
At the county level, Jamison is defender of the purchase of Ockawamick School, which she says was priced below its real worth. "It’s probably a valuable piece of real estate for what they bought it for," she said.
As to the future of the Pine Haven nursing home, she had high praise for staff at the current facility, and many questions about how best to provide the needed services in the future.
"I have mixed feelings about nursing homes. We are stuck with a certain sort of model," says Jamison, who is a career social services manager and practitioner who holds a Masters of Social Work. Under the Medicare billing system, newer facilities are reimbursed at higher rates, but the high turnover at private facilities, often staffed by agencies, does not make for good patient care, she says. "Direct care staff earning a living wage can provide a stable environment, and that's worth more than gold .... It would be sad if the county couldn't afford to do it anymore."
"We are losing seniors, it would be nice to keep them in the county" she said, coming full circle back to her mentor, Dr. Asbornsen who moved with his wife Mimi to a senior community in Clifton Park earlier this year. Asked if the county belonged in the nursing home business she hesitated, but not for long.
"The social worker in me says yes," she answered, but advised the county to "look closely at the Camphill model," which places residents in specialized communities offering the support required for their age and abilities. Plans were recently announced for a new Camphill facility in Ghent that will house 72 residents.
Jamison lists organizational affiliations including the MRDD Subcommittee of the County Community Services Board, Camphill Village, COARC, past Board President of Philmont Hearth, NASW, Amnesty International, Stuyvesant Recreation Committee, Railstation Restoration Committee, Stuyvesant Farmer's Market, and Citizens for Clean Air.
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